OBIT

5 years ago

Folk Musician Doc Watson Dies

Rick Diamond / Getty Images

Doc Watson, a blind Grammy-winning folk musician, has died after recently undergoing abdominal surgery following a fall at his North Carolina home. The 89-year-old Watson, who was known for his singing and being a master flatpicker, could play his acoustic guitar at such a high speed that it intimidated other musicians. Watson received a National Medal of the Arts in 1997 and eight Grammys throughout his career. However, he was perhaps best known for Merlefest, a yearly concert in Wilkesboro, N.C., named after his son who died in a tractor accident in 1985.